The Seattle Reign launched in 2013 as one of the original eight teams at the inception of the NWSL. The team even boasts two players on the 2025 roster (Lauren Barnes and Jess Fishlock) who have played for the Reign since the very first season, a true rarity among clubs. However, team ownership has changed hands several times and the team has played in four different stadiums over its 11-year history.
Since the 2022 season, the team has played at Lumen Field in downtown Seattle, which is also where the Seattle Sounders MLS team plays as well as the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks. In past years, the Reign played in much smaller venues around Seattle and in nearby Tacoma, with seating for just a few thousand people.
Lumen Field maxes out at 75,000 seats, and to be honest it’s the only venue in the NWSL that feels too large for the team and the sport.
However, it’s in a great central location and it’s a wonderful city to visit, so let’s talk about how to have the best time possible catching a Seattle Reign match.
As we said, Lumen Field is huge. When you attend a game here, you’re limited to picking seats from a handful of sections while half the stadium is closed and locked, and many of the concession areas are also closed. It gives off weird, unwelcome vibes and honestly we wish the team played in a more appropriate venue, something more like other clubs in a 10,000- to 20,000-person stadium, where crowds can more closely match the space.
Where to sit
In the seating chart above, sections shown in blue are the only ones where tickets were sold for Seattle Reign matches in 2024. The unfortunate aspect of this unfilled stadium is that for any daytime matches, TV cameras are located on the opposite, shady side of the arena in the off-limits gray area, which happens to be the most comfortable place to watch the game.
This means sections 104 to 114 are in full sun for early games, and even if you attend an evening game in summer, you still may have the sun directly in your eyes until it disappears behind the stadium’s walls. Sections 206 to 212 have a bit of shade and rain coverage from the overhanging roof above, but seats in sections 104 to 114 will likely get wet when it’s raining.
In late afternoons, you can find some shade at either goal end as the shadows extend from the closed, shady side of the stadium, but during our match we had to endure record summer highs around 95ºF/35ºC in section 109 in full sun. The team recognized the dangers of extreme heat on their fans and gave out a free chamois cloth you could soak in water, then place behind your neck to help cool down in the blazing sun.
The best seats are in sections 208-210: you’re near the center of the pitch and you get coverage from rain as well as precious shade in the highest rows.
Like the SeatGeek Stadium outside Chicago, it’s a bummer when you pay to attend a daytime game here and you’re scorching in the heat while you can see shady, comfortable seating that’s off limits, just so that the game looks better on TV. Though it makes for good television, it feels disrespectful to fans and supporters who came out to cheer on the team.
- Sections 208, 209, and 210 are the sweet spot — center of the pitch, roof coverage from rain, and some shade in the higher rows
- Sections 104–114 bake in full sun for daytime games and offer no rain protection — avoid these if weather is in play
- Late afternoon shade creeps toward either goal end as shadows extend from the closed side — a decent fallback if the 200s are booked up
- Accessible seating is at the top of each 100-level section with good sightlines and companion spots
What to eat and drink
With half the seating areas closed, the concourse area behind the seats are also half-closed, but even on the open side of the stadium, half of the remaining concession stands aren’t open due to the smaller crowds (our match had around 5,000). This meant food choices were limited to a few places with burgers and hot dogs, a pizza joint, a vegan spot, and soft-serve ice cream. For drinks, there were a few spots selling beer and we did find one bar with not only wine and beer but also frosé, or frozen rosé wine, which was quite refreshing at the height of summer.
We sampled some pizza, a burrito, and a hot dog and it was all fairly mundane, forgettable fare. Food and drinks were also a bit costly. For a summer match on a record-breaking hot day it was a bummer to pay $7.50 for each bottle of water we drank (we both needed several).
Team merchandise, accessibility, restrooms, and pre-game activities
While there was a brick-and-mortar team store in the stadium, it was closed during the match and looking in, it only had Sounders and Seahawks stuff for sale. Seattle Reign gear was limited to a couple pop-up temporary stands in the concourse area selling hats, T-shirts, and jerseys.
For accessible-seating options, there are areas set aside for fans needing more space and their companions at the top of each of the 100 sections that should serve as good vantage points for any match.
Restrooms were OK, and given the small crowds, there seemed to be plenty of availability, though there were still some lines for women at halftime.
Outside the stadium, the street along one side of the arena was closed and filled with a carnival-like mix of vendors offering food and goods, letting fans walk around before and after game time.
Pre-game, in-game, and post-game vibes
Pre-game vibes were mostly good, though getting into the stadium is a bit of a chore, thanks to so much of it being closed off. You have to find a gate that matches closest to your seats and we were directed away from one gate to another on the other side of the stadium, which added 15 minutes to our journey inside.
Once inside the stadium, people were stoked to be there and there were tons of hardcore Reign fans, which isn’t a surprise given the club has been in the NWSL since the start.
The game itself was enjoyable to watch, and the hometown fans are louder than you’d think for the small crowd. Our game happened to take place during a heat wave so much of the crowd slowly moved to upper sections that were empty and had a bit of precious shade. Given the small crowds, every group of fans basically got an entire row to themselves and we moved closer to the center of the pitch.
Post-game, the crowd slowly filtered out and the best spots to get things autographed or interact with players were the lower rows of sections 108 to 110. There seemed to be no rush on the part of stadium staff to usher us outside, which was nice.
- The stadium is wildly oversized for NWSL crowds — an odd, half-empty feel that never quite goes away
- Reign fans are loud and dedicated despite the small crowds — the team has been in the NWSL since day one and the hardcore supporters show up
- The street alongside the stadium is closed off on matchdays with a carnival-like mix of food vendors and pop-up stands worth browsing before and after
- Post-game is low-key and unhurried, for autographs after the game, the lower rows of sections 108–110 are your best bet
Getting there
Flying in
Seattle has a large international airport that’s easy to reach from pretty much anywhere else in the country. But keep in mind it’s about 20 minutes south of downtown so know that getting into the city will take additional time and planning.
Renting a car or going car-free
You wouldn’t know it unless you spent time there, but thanks to the Puget Sound making up most of the coastline, Seattle is a surprisingly hilly place, with lots of climbs and descents especially around the waterfront. You could avoid renting a car and take the light rail into town, then use rental bikes or scooters or rideshares, but you’ll be surprised how often you’ll find yourself climbing steep hills.
That said, if you’re sticking to downtown you could spend a lovely weekend here without needing a car by walking most places or using light rail, but if you want to check out different regions of Seattle, you’ll need a rental car. Freeway traffic is famously bad at rush hour, so expect to spend time in stop-and-go traffic if you have to travel north or south out of downtown.
Driving in
Getting to Lumen Field isn’t too difficult, but for anyone from outside the area it can be confusing once you’re there. Lumen Field sits next to T-Mobile Park, the MLB stadium used by the Seattle Mariners, and there are several large parking structures surrounding both arenas.
If you buy a parking pass on the TicketMaster app, pay attention to which parking garage it’s located in, and check your phone’s mapping apps carefully to find the best route. On our first trip to Lumen Field, we found ourselves circling a series of small alleys and access roads surrounding parking structures, trying to find our exact garage and Google Maps wasn’t entirely helpful. After some trial and error, and asking some parking attendants, we finally found our correct lot.
Taking public transit
Thankfully, Lumen Field is next to a major transit station with Seattle’s Sound Transit light-rail lines as well as Amtrak’s routes meeting in the same place.
A popular thing Portland Thorns fans like to do each season is take Amtrak to Seattle vs. Portland games. However, there are only a handful of Amtrak trains per day, so train seats can sell out quickly and the idea only works when the match at Lumen Field fits into the existing Amtrak schedule that puts you in Seattle in early afternoon while the last train back is in early evening.
Sound Transit, Seattle’s bus and rail lines, is a good in-town alternative to driving and parking. You can even go directly from the airport into downtown Seattle almost as quickly as most people can drive the same distance. Trips on light rail are only $3, making it an affordable option as well.
Where to stay
Hotels are plentiful around Seattle, and there are lots of options in the downtown area, especially around the convention center. You’ll also get to enjoy decent views of the waterfront from pretty much any downtown hotel thanks to the city being mostly surrounded by water. We typically stay in downtown Seattle because it’s walkable to famous spots like Pike’s Place, and there are also dozens of terrific restaurants nearby.
What to do in Seattle (besides watch soccer)
Seattle’s unique topography splits the city into a series of different neighborhoods spread throughout the region. Most tourists end up in the downtown and Capitol Hill areas and there’s plenty to see and do there, but there are also popular places like Queen Anne, the University District, the Fremont, Wallingford, and Ballard neighborhoods, as well as West Seattle, and the Bainbridge, Mercer, and Vashon islands farther out.
The popular places you’ve likely heard about are actually pretty great. The Pike Place Market is a fun spot to spend time and grab a bite. Yes, they do throw fish here, and that’s a goofy spectacle, but honestly, there are lots of great places inside Pike Place. There’s the Rabbit Box theater, which is great for an intimate show or a drink and dinner. Le Pichet has some of the best French food on the West Coast and adventurous travelers should visit all the floors of the market then walk down to the waterfront on the beautiful new pedestrian bridge that replaced an old ugly freeway that was removed years ago. Once you’ve walked down there, you can visit the world-class aquarium.
In the downtown area — especially if you have kids — the Monorail to Seattle Center seems like a silly loop but kids absolutely love the high vantage point in the city. When you’re finished riding it, you can go to the top of the Space Needle for unparalleled views of the entire region. There are a variety of small museums near the Space Needle, but our favorite thing to do is visit the Olympic Sculpture Park that’s just a short walk away and always free and open, since it’s outdoors and near the waterfront.
If you have a car, there are a constellation of spots to visit: The Ballard Locks and Fish Ladder, depending on the season, will have lots of salmon, and even sea lions. The University of Washington campus is a peaceful respite from the bustling University Avenue shopping area nearby, and the UW Medicinal Herb Garden is a hidden-in-plain-sight local resource. A drive through the Arboretum, a stop at the Japanese Garden, and then a leisurely trip along Lake Washington Boulevard to Seward Park, where an old-growth forest survives within the city limits, completes a relaxing outdoorsy loop.
Seattle is also home to tons of shopping options. There are vintage stores aplenty and goodwill thrift stores to peruse. There are art galleries and every Thursday night is an Art Walk where galleries open their doors citywide. Thanks to the Seattle music scene, there are several guitar shops along with a plethora of small record shops selling vintage vinyl and cassettes. A committed music fan could spend a whole day just visiting record stores before checking out the Museum of Pop Culture, with its famous Seattle music scene artifacts.
Seattle is a city of many bustling neighborhoods separated by water and geography. Most are walkable, eclectic, and full of bars and restaurants. They each have their own character and you can’t go wrong picking any neighborhood to dive into.
- Pike Place Market is better than its tourist reputation — skip the fish-throwing crowd and head for Le Pichet (some of the best French food on the West Coast) or the Rabbit Box theater for an intimate show
- The new pedestrian bridge from Pike Place down to the waterfront replaced an ugly freeway — it's a gorgeous walk ending at a world-class aquarium
- The Olympic Sculpture Park is always free and always open, with waterfront views — an easy walk from the Space Needle area
- Music lovers can spend a full day on independent record shops and guitar stores before visiting the Museum of Pop Culture for its Seattle music scene artifacts
- With a car, the Arboretum → Japanese Garden → Lake Washington Blvd → Seward Park old-growth forest loop is a relaxing outdoor half-day
- Portland Thorns fans: the Amtrak-to-Seattle game-day tradition is fun but tight — trains are limited, seats sell fast, and only certain kickoff times work with the train schedule
Seattle is a fun, interesting city cradled by the ocean and it has lots of exciting things to see and do, and also happens to be a great place to catch a NWSL game.
